Tree fashion

While walking down Todd Mall recently, you may have noticed something unique, something...colourful. Like maybe a tree wearing clothes.

For the Alice Springs Desert Festival this year, Nicky Shonkala has entered something that is sure to grab everyone's attention.

This year, Nicky has knitted a woolly jumper for the jacaranda tree just outside Adelaide House in the middle of the Todd Mall.

I've heard for clothes for pets but I've never heard of clothes for trees!

Knit graffiti is probably the most inoffensive type of graffiti around and it's growing in popularity, but the best thing about this type of art is that it can be done to anything.

"I sort of got inspired to do it last year in Alice Springs, cycling around and seeing a lot of grotty stuff I just wanted to cheer up the space and add a bit of colour," Nicky said while standing back and admiring the now woolly tree.

But this isn't the first time that Nicky has knitted fashion for inanimate objects around Alice Springs. She has knitted poles, letterboxes, car bumpers and one of her friend's roof pipes.

Last year for the 'Art of the Heart' conference, Nicky also clothed and decorated the poles at the front entrance.

Nicky has so far received a lot of positive feedback from the community, with one little girl saying that it looked like a 'tree cosy'. Others have given the tree a big woolly hug.

So how long did it take to make the woolly jumper?

Heaving a sigh, Nicky wearily told us that through a burst of energy it took "about four hours a night, every night, for about three and a half weeks."

Nicky's time and effort put into this project wasn't a waste. The tree is full of colours that not only clash but somehow complement each other at the same time.

"It's very colourful, I have used bright colours and that was mainly to make it stand out. I wanted a lot of contrast," said Nicky.

Nicky also describes the tree, not only as a mosaic, but as a sea creature with its tentacles reaching out to the sky.

This piece of art will be around for the rest of the Desert Festival, and will be on display for public viewing for about the next two weeks until the 21st of September.

But heed this as a warning, no-one and nothing is safe from knit graffiti.

"I'm actually doing little things that are appearing sort of secretly around town...If I did one instillation a night, 365 instillations a year, slowly we'll knit graffiti Alice Springs."

So keep an eye out for your letter box, it might gain one of Nicky's woolly jumpers.